Kenny Phillips tries to stay
away from watching the NFL Network these days.
There is no desire to watch ESPN or read anything
on the Internet concerning this weekend's NFL
Draft.
As Phillips says, he refuses to "read into" what any
so-called draft expert opines about his lack of
productivity last season for the Miami Hurricanes.
"I don't hear what they got to say," said Phillips, a
6-foot-2, 212-pound free safety. "I just listen to the
coaches. If they have something to say, I listen."
Phillips, who elected to skip his senior season, is
still not a lock to be selected in the first round. He
will, however, continue the long line of UM safeties to
play in the NFL when his name is called, joining the
likes of Sean Taylor, Brandon Meriweather and Ed Reed.
"I have him as my top safety on the board," NFL Network
analyst Mike Mayock said. "But I still have him going
in the second round."
Phillips was projected as a Top 10 pick before last
season, but his stock somewhat dropped after what many
analysts called an average year. He had 82 tackles, but
just two interceptions for a UM team that finished 5-7.
Still, Phillips believes he possesses first-round
talent, just like those UM safeties who preceded him.
"I think so," Phillips said. "I can't say where in the
first round. I think I did a pretty good job [at the
NFL Combine] and I can pretty much go in the first
round."
Most draft analysts say Phillips lacks the playmaking
ability of Reed or Taylor. Although he's a solid
tackler, they seem unable to forget about his final
season. He entered with such high expectations after
being a candidate for the Jim Thorpe Award.
"Kenny Phillips is not in the first round right now
because he's still a borderline player," ESPN analyst
Mel Kiper Jr. said. "But there's a safety by the name
of Tyrell Johnson from Arkansas State who has really
moved up. ... You look at him escalating up and
Phillips not coming off a great year."
Interested teams questioned Phillips on the so-called
decline in production. As a freshman, he appeared on
the way to being a high first-round pick. He stepped in
for injured Anthony Reddick, starting the final 11
games. He ranked third on the team with 88 tackles and
his lone interception preserved a victory against
Clemson.
Phillips, a Carol City native, made third-team
All-American the following season before watching his
statistics drop slightly in 2007. He said he answered
the inquiries from NFL personnel by saying he improved
in areas not shown by stats.
"I told them I matured more as a player," Phillips
said. "I took on a lot more responsibilities as far as
communicating and helping the coaches out because we
had a lot of new coaches coming in. I was still making
plays."
There is still a chance Phillips cracks the first
round. The website NFLDraftCountdown.com has the New
York Giants taking him with the 31st pick, the last of
the first round (New England doesn't have a first-round
pick). The Dallas Cowboys also have shown interest at
the No. 22 pick.
Phillips, who continues to say he made the right
decision to leave early, is ready for all the
speculation to end.
"It's a long process," Phillips said. "It's a lot as
far as a team. There's a lot of money involved. They
make sure if you're married, who your girlfriend is,
your second-grade teacher. They're definitely trying to
figure some things about you. It's definitely a long
process, but we work so hard so when it's all over, it
feels good to be done with it."
(sun-sentinel.com)